diff --git a/lightningd/connect_control.c b/lightningd/connect_control.c
index 2beb875ea..31b5a05a8 100644
--- a/lightningd/connect_control.c
+++ b/lightningd/connect_control.c
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ static void connect_cmd_succeed(struct command *cmd, const struct pubkey *id)
 static void json_connect(struct command *cmd,
 			 const char *buffer, const jsmntok_t *params)
 {
-	const jsmntok_t *hosttok;
 	u32 *port;
 	jsmntok_t *idtok;
 	struct pubkey id;
@@ -89,7 +88,7 @@ static void json_connect(struct command *cmd,
 
 	if (!param(cmd, buffer, params,
 		   p_req("id", json_tok_tok, (const jsmntok_t **) &idtok),
-		   p_opt("host", json_tok_tok, &hosttok),
+		   p_opt("host", json_tok_string, &name),
 		   p_opt("port", json_tok_number, &port),
 		   NULL))
 		return;
@@ -113,7 +112,7 @@ static void json_connect(struct command *cmd,
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (hosttok && ataddr) {
+	if (name && ataddr) {
 		command_fail(cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS,
 			     "Can't specify host as both xxx@yyy "
 			     "and separate argument");
@@ -121,13 +120,8 @@ static void json_connect(struct command *cmd,
 	}
 
 	/* Get parseable host if provided somehow */
-	if (hosttok)
-		name = tal_strndup(cmd, buffer + hosttok->start,
-				   hosttok->end - hosttok->start);
-	else if (ataddr)
+	if (!name && ataddr)
 		name = ataddr;
-	else
-		name = NULL;
 
 	/* Port without host name? */
 	if (port && !name) {
diff --git a/lightningd/invoice.c b/lightningd/invoice.c
index 375169aaa..c5e229347 100644
--- a/lightningd/invoice.c
+++ b/lightningd/invoice.c
@@ -325,7 +325,6 @@ static void json_delinvoice(struct command *cmd,
 {
 	struct invoice i;
 	const struct invoice_details *details;
-	const jsmntok_t *statustok;
 	struct json_result *response = new_json_result(cmd);
 	const char *status, *actual_status;
 	struct json_escaped *label;
@@ -333,7 +332,7 @@ static void json_delinvoice(struct command *cmd,
 
 	if (!param(cmd, buffer, params,
 		   p_req("label", json_tok_label, &label),
-		   p_req("status", json_tok_tok, &statustok),
+		   p_req("status", json_tok_string, &status),
 		   NULL))
 		return;
 
@@ -344,8 +343,6 @@ static void json_delinvoice(struct command *cmd,
 
 	details = wallet_invoice_details(cmd, cmd->ld->wallet, i);
 
-	status = tal_strndup(cmd, buffer + statustok->start,
-			     statustok->end - statustok->start);
 	/* This is time-sensitive, so only call once; otherwise error msg
 	 * might not make sense if it changed! */
 	actual_status = invoice_status_str(details);
@@ -543,26 +540,17 @@ static void json_add_fallback(struct json_result *response,
 static void json_decodepay(struct command *cmd,
                            const char *buffer, const jsmntok_t *params)
 {
-	const jsmntok_t *bolt11tok, *desctok;
 	struct bolt11 *b11;
 	struct json_result *response;
-        char *str, *desc, *fail;
+        const char *str, *desc;
+        char *fail;
 
 	if (!param(cmd, buffer, params,
-		   p_req("bolt11", json_tok_tok, &bolt11tok),
-		   p_opt("description", json_tok_tok, &desctok),
+		   p_req("bolt11", json_tok_string, &str),
+		   p_opt("description", json_tok_string, &desc),
 		   NULL))
 		return;
 
-        str = tal_strndup(cmd, buffer + bolt11tok->start,
-                          bolt11tok->end - bolt11tok->start);
-
-        if (desctok)
-                desc = tal_strndup(cmd, buffer + desctok->start,
-                                   desctok->end - desctok->start);
-        else
-                desc = NULL;
-
 	b11 = bolt11_decode(cmd, str, desc, &fail);
 
 	if (!b11) {
diff --git a/lightningd/json.c b/lightningd/json.c
index e821d34e5..b05ead48c 100644
--- a/lightningd/json.c
+++ b/lightningd/json.c
@@ -159,6 +159,15 @@ bool json_tok_escaped_string(struct command *cmd, const char *name,
 	return false;
 }
 
+bool json_tok_string(struct command *cmd, const char *name,
+		     const char * buffer, const jsmntok_t *tok,
+		     const char **str)
+{
+	*str = tal_strndup(cmd, buffer + tok->start,
+			   tok->end - tok->start);
+	return true;
+}
+
 bool json_tok_label(struct command *cmd, const char *name,
 		    const char * buffer, const jsmntok_t *tok,
 		    struct json_escaped **label)
diff --git a/lightningd/json.h b/lightningd/json.h
index 232271243..02902f798 100644
--- a/lightningd/json.h
+++ b/lightningd/json.h
@@ -64,6 +64,11 @@ bool json_tok_escaped_string(struct command *cmd, const char *name,
 			     const char * buffer, const jsmntok_t *tok,
 			     const char **str);
 
+/* Extract a string */
+bool json_tok_string(struct command *cmd, const char *name,
+		     const char * buffer, const jsmntok_t *tok,
+		     const char **str);
+
 /* Extract a label. It is either an escaped string or a number. */
 bool json_tok_label(struct command *cmd, const char *name,
 		    const char * buffer, const jsmntok_t *tok,
diff --git a/lightningd/pay.c b/lightningd/pay.c
index 040e5a68b..5c1cf0d60 100644
--- a/lightningd/pay.c
+++ b/lightningd/pay.c
@@ -1061,28 +1061,27 @@ static void json_listpayments(struct command *cmd, const char *buffer,
 {
 	const struct wallet_payment **payments;
 	struct json_result *response = new_json_result(cmd);
-	const jsmntok_t *bolt11tok, *rhashtok;
+	const jsmntok_t *rhashtok;
 	struct sha256 *rhash = NULL;
+	const char *b11str;
 
 	if (!param(cmd, buffer, params,
-		   p_opt("bolt11", json_tok_tok, &bolt11tok),
+		   p_opt("bolt11", json_tok_string, &b11str),
 		   p_opt("payment_hash", json_tok_tok, &rhashtok),
 		   NULL))
 		return;
 
-	if (rhashtok && bolt11tok) {
+	if (rhashtok && b11str) {
 		command_fail(cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS,
 			     "Can only specify one of"
 			     " {bolt11} or {payment_hash}");
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (bolt11tok) {
+	if (b11str) {
 		struct bolt11 *b11;
-		char *b11str, *fail;
+		char *fail;
 
-		b11str = tal_strndup(cmd, buffer + bolt11tok->start,
-				     bolt11tok->end - bolt11tok->start);
 		b11 = bolt11_decode(cmd, b11str, NULL, &fail);
 		if (!b11) {
 			command_fail(cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS,
diff --git a/lightningd/payalgo.c b/lightningd/payalgo.c
index 21eecad73..f5d412e7a 100644
--- a/lightningd/payalgo.c
+++ b/lightningd/payalgo.c
@@ -599,21 +599,21 @@ static void json_pay_stop_retrying(struct pay *pay)
 static void json_pay(struct command *cmd,
 		     const char *buffer, const jsmntok_t *params)
 {
-	const jsmntok_t *bolt11tok, *desctok;
 	double *riskfactor;
 	double *maxfeepercent;
 	u64 *msatoshi;
 	struct pay *pay = tal(cmd, struct pay);
 	struct bolt11 *b11;
-	char *fail, *b11str, *desc;
+	const char *b11str, *desc;
+	char *fail;
 	unsigned int *retryfor;
 	unsigned int *maxdelay;
 	unsigned int *exemptfee;
 
 	if (!param(cmd, buffer, params,
-		   p_req("bolt11", json_tok_tok, &bolt11tok),
+		   p_req("bolt11", json_tok_string, &b11str),
 		   p_opt("msatoshi", json_tok_u64, &msatoshi),
-		   p_opt("description", json_tok_tok, &desctok),
+		   p_opt("description", json_tok_string, &desc),
 		   p_opt_def("riskfactor", json_tok_double, &riskfactor, 1.0),
 		   p_opt_def("maxfeepercent", json_tok_percent, &maxfeepercent, 0.5),
 		   p_opt_def("retry_for", json_tok_number, &retryfor, 60),
@@ -623,14 +623,6 @@ static void json_pay(struct command *cmd,
 		   NULL))
 		return;
 
-	b11str = tal_strndup(cmd, buffer + bolt11tok->start,
-			     bolt11tok->end - bolt11tok->start);
-	if (desctok)
-		desc = tal_strndup(cmd, buffer + desctok->start,
-				   desctok->end - desctok->start);
-	else
-		desc = NULL;
-
 	b11 = bolt11_decode(pay, b11str, desc, &fail);
 	if (!b11) {
 		command_fail(cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS,